1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a polarizing plate and a liquid crystal display including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) can be manufactured to be thinner than other displays and to have low power consumption. Thus, LCDs are used in various devices, such as TVs, monitors, electronic clocks, and mobile phones.
An LCD transmits or reflects light by adjusting the orientation of liquid crystals to display images. In such an LCD, a polarizing plate is placed on an upper or lower side of a liquid crystal panel to more accurately adjust light passing therethrough.
Generally, a polarizing plate for an LCD includes a polarizer and protective films. Conventionally, cellulose films, such as triacetyl cellulose (TAC) films, have been used as protective films for polarizing plates. However, cellulose films exhibit insufficient heat resistance and moisture resistance. Thus, when a polarizing plate including such a cellulose film is used for a long period of time under a high temperature or high humidity atmosphere, the polarizing plate is likely to suffer deteriorations in the degree of polarization, separation of the polarizer from the protective film, and degradation in optical properties.
In an attempt to solve these problems, a polyester protective film for the polarizing plate has been proposed, such as one having a water vapor permeability of 700 g/m2.day or less, and an in-plane retardation of 500 nm or greater. However, such a polarizing plate suffers from the occurrence of color shading (e.g., rainbow spots) and a low degree of polarization.